What is a good, cheap handheld exposure meter ?

[GaryFlorida]

Just for completeness, Gossen offers (once again) a voltage conversion device so "modern" silver cells can be used. It actually works quite good.

A factory conversion device? Id like to see that. Maybe it could be adapted to other mercury only devices

 

[BrianShaw]

A factory conversion device? Id like to see that. Maybe it could be adapted to other mercury only devices

The Gossen adapter is sized for 2 cells, so can be used in other devices that take 2 cells.

BATTERY ADAPTER SET | Gossen

gossen-photo.de

There are other 1-cell adapters available that can be used, either singly in devices requiring only 1 cell or multiply in devices requiruing multiple cells.

MR-9 Mercury Battery Adapter

Our mercury battery adapters are the perfect solution for vintage collector cameras and equipment that were designed for use with mercury batteries.

shop.criscam.com

 

[Luckless]

Looks likely to bump into your head.

Assuming it is the same threaded socket for a standard 4-20 camera screw that my Digiflash has, then it should be easy enough to swap to an adapter that fits your camera setup and layout.

 

[Bill Burk]

I want the kind that i point at the subject. A spot meter would be great.

Pentax Spotmeter V are relatively inexpensive

 

[Chan Tran]

Pentax Spotmeter V are relatively inexpensive

I think it's expensive. Minolta spotmeters are cheaper.

 

[Paul Howell]

Outside the box. Not much larger, a little lighter than a Minolta or Pentax spot meter, a Minolta 5 with short zoom, a 28 to 80 are very inexpensive. Not recently but in the past I've use a Sigma SA7 or SD 9 as a meter with 4X5. Matrix and spot metering, with the SD9 also a preview, although in color. With a Pentax K 2000 in monomode a black and white preview.

 

[Pieter12]

Assuming it is the same threaded socket for a standard 4-20 camera screw that my Digiflash has, then it should be easy enough to swap to an adapter that fits your camera setup and layout.

Still gonna bump your head.

 

[guangong]

I have found the Gossen adaptor marketed by Gossen to be the best solution. I have owned my LunaPro from the 1970s and its reading is spot on. I also have a LunaPro F that takes 9 volt batteries, which I find just a little too large. And as with the Gossen Digisix, it eats batteries.
On the other hand, I find my Gossen spot meter impractical unless used as a shilely, preferring the more elegant smaller Pentax spot meter.

 

[GaryFlorida]

Pentax Spotmeter V are relatively inexpensive

Looks awesome. It looks too much like a gun though. Someone could use it as an excuse to shoot the photographer.

 

[GaryFlorida]

Looks awesome. It looks too much like a gun though. Someone could use it as an excuse to shoot the photographer.

Ive also seen rifle stockfor cameras i thought was cool.

 

[GregY]

Until i started using it regularly, i found the Digisix to be a pain. Now i just carry extra batteries & have it pretty much dialed in. It's proven to be remarkably accurate. I mostly use it in incident mode. I far prefer it to any of the older much bigger Lunasix/pro et al. If i were replacing it, i might go with the Gossen 308. I just came back from a trip to Italy......i brought only the digisix (typically i carry both the Pentax digital spot meter as well). It worked very well and i'm happy with the negative densities. Personally i wouldn't mount it on my camera....but it's light and hangs around my neck or fits in a shirt pocket.

 

[Romanko]

A digital camera with a histogram display works fine for me.

It would help if you tell a bit more about your photography.

What film are you shooting (B&W, color negative or slide) and in what format?
Do you use Zone System?
Do you develop yourself?

 

[MattKing]

Until i started using it regularly, i found the Digisix to be a pain. Now i just carry extra batteries & have it pretty much dialed in. It's proven to be remarkably accurate. I mostly use it in incident mode. I far prefer it to any of the older much bigger Lunasix/pro et al. If i were replacing it, i might go with the Gossen 308. I just came back from a trip to Italy......i brought only the digisix (typically i carry both the Pentax digital spot meter as well). It worked very well and i'm happy with the negative densities. Personally i wouldn't mount it on my camera....but it's light and hangs around my neck or fits in a shirt pocket.
View attachment 379993

I use my Digiflash with a different pouch than the one supplied by Gossen. The pouch I'm using has harder sides, which makes unintentional pushing of the buttons difficult. The pouch also has a pocket big enough to hold an extra battery in a tiny "Ziploc" type plastic bag.
They take one CR2032 lithium battery - $1.25 CDN for a pack of three at our local Dollar store.

 

[GregY]

I use my Digiflash with a different pouch than the one supplied by Gossen. The pouch I'm using has harder sides, which makes unintentional pushing of the buttons difficult. The pouch also has a pocket big enough to hold an extra battery in a tiny "Ziploc" type plastic bag.
They take one CR2032 lithium battery - $1.25 CDN for a pack of three at our local Dollar store.

Good plan Matt, I often travel w the battery pulled out. and yes.... batteries are small and cheap....never leave home without them

 

[MattKing]

The "Roots" logo and red and cream/white decoration on the pouch I'm using also helps advertise that I'm Canadian .

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Sekonic l158 is tiny, doesn't use batteries and for $20 it a great backup to keep in your bag.

I used that meter in a waterproof plastic case when I scuba-dived years ago with my Nikonos. I might still have it somewhere up in the attic.

 

[benveniste]

I'm like you. I used to use my Minolta IIIf with 10 degree spot only. Incident and reflective. (I thought your IV comes with a 5 degree?)

IIRC, both the 5-degree and 10-degree were add-on accessories.

 

[rippa_the_hutt]

Zinc air or Silver Oxide can't hold the output voltage to within 1% for 95% of their useful life like Mercury Oxide.

For Zinc-Air:

Zinc–air battery - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

https://www.microbattery.com/pub/media/tech-specs/pdfs/A675MF.pdf (the plot is for hearing aids: they drain way more current than an exposure meter and, indeed, measuring the voltage at the cell's poles reveal a voltage around 1.35V, if I had another hand I could take a picture of the multimeter )

For Silver oxide:

Silver oxide battery - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Page 2 of application manual from Energizer shows a shorter battery life (expected) but equivalent stability:

https://data.energizer.com/pdfs/silveroxide_appman.pdf

 

[loccdor]

Looks likely to bump into your head.

Yes, in practice I almost never use it in the shoe. I keep it in the shirt pocket and mostly pull it out for incident metering.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I have several cameras that have no meter. My dad has a Lentar meter that he bought in Germany in the late 50s. It takes the unobtainium Mercury battery 1.35v. Im not sure how accurate this meter is especially in low light. In these modern times, is there any cheap and accurate hand held light meter I can buy? Please advise.
Thanks.

Gossen Digisix would be my choice.

 

[GaryFlorida]

Gossen Digisix would be my choice.

Thanks Ralph

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

IIRC, both the 5-degree and 10-degree were add-on accessories.

I can't use the 5 degree attachment on my IIIf, only the 10 degree.

By the way, I would recommend your Minolta Autometer IV over the III because the IV has an on-off power button as well as the 5 degree spot available.. My III has none and is suppose to power down automatically. But somehow that doesn;t work as it is supposed to and the battery will wear down while "off". So I now pull the battery when not using the meter.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Gossen Digisix would be my choice.

Thanks Ralph

The Gossen Digisix meter has a 25-degree incident reading plus the ambient reading. Didn't you want something more narrow?

 

[GaryFlorida]

The Gossen Digisix meter has a 25-degree incident reading plus the ambient reading. Didn't you want something more narrow?

I dont know what I want, im processing all of this and I appreciate yours and everyones input very much! Thank you.

 

[miha]

Any digital Gossen meter is a good choice and easy to use, too.